The tenth developer diary for Master of Orion 3 has been posted at GameSpy, discussing the game's complex user interface (UI). In this installment, they cover basic topics such as the use of color to define elements, UI textures and laying out the various screens. Because the title is quite involved in depth and strategy, there are over 100 different screens for the user interface, making the design of these screens a very important element of the game. Here's a small clip from the article:

My response to those who have only seen screen shots of the UI and say 'well it's kinda plain-looking' is that motion is everything in the game.

One of the first ideas for MOO3 when we started kicking this around two years ago was the idea that it would be a highly kinetic game with movement that reinforced actions and information. For instance, a crucial idea was that you would be able to zoom from the galaxy view, to the sector level, to the system level, to the planet level fluidly, without there ever being a "cut, goto screen" state. The idea being that it, like the sprues and color modes, reinforces the sense of connectivity and context, hence making it easier and more enjoyable to play.